불평등한 경제교역과 대만의 국가정체성

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze China’s Taiwan policy from the perspective of softpower. As Chinese economy developed, China used the appeal of its huge market andeconomic opportunities to attract the Taiwanese into seeking unification. China expectedthat the economic benefits might increase Taiwanese favorable attitude toward China. By using 2008 survey data, we attempt to figure out whether and to what extentChina’s economic approach to Taiwan was successful. In the 2008 presidential election,the DPP was defeated by the pro-China KMT, which suggested extended economicexchange with China. As such the KMT’s success can be interpreted as the Taiwanesewanting extended economic exchange with China, does this result show that China’ssoft power approach was successful? The findings in this paper do not provide thisexpected result. Instead, we suggest that China’s soft power strategy has not been assuccessful and that national identity proves to be the determinant in deciding Taiwaneseattitudes toward China.